Working with students

Career activities for all teachers

Career activities for year 7 upwards

: Integrate career education into regular classroom programmes

Students increase their awareness of their strengths and interests, and of how they relate to others. They see themselves positively, demonstrating a hopeful picture of themselves in the future. They explore adult roles in their communities and the range of occupations that contribute to the products and services people use in their daily lives, and demonstrate optimism that they will do the same in the future. They become aware of the link between education and work and the role of lifelong learning, understanding that people’s skills are built up over time because of learning and experience. They develop transferable skills in research, goal setting, evaluating options and reaching decisions. They become aware of the style and nature of secondary schooling, and are prepared for this transition.

Source: Career Education and Guidance in New Zealand Schools, Ministry of Education, 2009.

Activities for year 7 upwards

Career activities for year 9 upwards

Students build their understanding of their strengths, interests and values and start to consider how these might influence their life, learning and work choices. They are developing their confidence as learners, and articulate aspirations and dreams about their future. They understand how they relate to others and the impact their personal decisions have on their lives.

There is an increasing emphasis on understanding and personalising learning pathways at school. Students learn about senior school courses and how they relate to qualifications. They explore possible career directions, and may visit actual workplaces, without needing to make career-defining decisions. Through inquiry-learning approaches they enhance their research skills and increase their awareness of a range of future pathways.

Source: Career Education and Guidance in New Zealand Schools, Ministry of Education, 2009.

Activities for year 9 upwards

Career activities for year 11 upwards

Students use their knowledge of themselves to weigh up possible pathways in the senior school and beyond. They explore and begin to articulate career aspirations linked to a range of learning opportunities. Classroom teachers help students discover how their talents relate to work, and they learn to describe and name their growing skills and abilities in conversations, plans and portfolios. They understand how to keep open a range of options while pursuing their strengths, interests and aspirations. Learning and career planning will include setting goals for achievement in qualifications and for exploring career pathways.

In years 12-13, students begin to visualise themselves in pathways beyond school. They understand how school qualifications relate to tertiary education and training options, and to occupations. Learning and career planning will encourage students to maintain a range of career options; however they are gaining a broad sense of the direction that best suits their interests, talents and abilities. They understand the need to actively explore areas of interest and to identify training and education possibilities that are related to their skills and abilities. Planning will include researching actual possible pathways which reflect the student’s school achievements, aspirations, strengths, interests and values.

Source: Career Education and Guidance in New Zealand Schools, Ministry of Education, 2009.